Gallery Exhibition & Artist Talk with Guest Artist George Woollard

Opening the 2024-25 school year, the Canopy Gallery@Hopwood at Mid-Pacific Institute is proud to present the exhibition, “Pipe Up,” with over 40 artworks in watercolor, monoprints, mixed-media collage, and sculpture by Mr. George Woollard. Mr. Woollard will share the stories and perspectives that have helped shape his practice and creative practice, diving into an exhibition carefully curated for our youngest and eldest community members.

TIME & VENUE

5:00pm - 6:00pm: Canopy Gallery at Hopwood Hall for Exhibition Viewing

6:00pm - 7:00pm: Artist Talk and Q&A

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:

Mr. Woollard describes the exhibition in his own words:

There is an unspoken dialogue going on between the works presented, myself and the viewer. These conversations include discussions about the nature of color, form and line. The thought is that color is emotional dimensionality, form is the materiality of the experience, and that line is the train of thought linking everything together. 

“Pipe up” is a reference to the need to be heard and also to the musicality of the artwork. All materials and processes have a certain truth to them. It is my job to orchestrate and direct them, but not to change their nature. In the end, the work only rings true when I have integrated myself into the composition. It takes time to find just the right balance.

Finding one’s “voice” is hard only because it is hard to know ourselves. Authenticity of expression can only be experienced from an authentic person. Making art is a wonderful tool in learning to find that person in ourselves. A sense of “style” cannot be forced, it is who you are when you are relaxed and knowledgeable. Knowing is the key. Education is everything. Become a connoisseur of good taste.

My art needs to be real, not a facsimile of reality. The sense that what you are seeing is present in the same ways that things in nature are present is paramount. No explanations are needed. The work can stand on its own and have a long existence as an asset to our lives and not a liability. 

An artist forges their own path, it is a creative way to live with few guideposts along the way. Predictability is the enemy of genuine creativity. You must find a way to make a living by being very good at what you know. Practice makes perfect. Practice being imaginative.

ABOUT GEORGE WOOLLARD:

George Woollard has been making his home in Hawaii since 1962. The islands are manifest in his interest in color, which reflects the tropical light and moods which permeate his environment. Hawaii engenders a robustness of character that is both fearless and tender. These are the qualities that George is searching for in his work.

A word about abstraction. As an artist that is equally committed to teaching and creating, George loves language. He looks at all art as essentially abstract. In other words, creation is linked to intention. Words are abstract symbols for intentions and so it is with images. Working abstractly involves the manipulation of symbols, which could be words but also any number of shapes, textures, colors, materials and so on. There is only one voice being expressed in a variety of languages.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Mid-Pacific Institute, 2445 Kaala Street, Honolulu, United States